Joey Barton – It’s An Honor To Play In This Newcastle Side

It seems that Joey Barton was gutted, confused and annoyed, just like the rest of us, when Andy Carroll was sold to Liverpool.

Harper and Barton after game Tuesday – you would think we had won! But now that a little time has passed by, and the fact that it seems Andy wanted to leave for Liverpool unless he got £80K/week at Newcastle to stay, makes it a little easier to take, but just a little.

In fact we are now hoping a young cockney kid, Nile Ranger, can come through big time in the next year or two, and that will make it all easier to take.

And if Newcastle can entice a certain 17 year-old wonder kid, Connor Whickham, to Newcastle in the summer, that would also help big time.

Joey Barton is becoming one of the real leaders at the Newcastle club, along with captain Kevin Nolan, and if Joey is not the official vice captain of the team he should be.

Joey has come out today, and says he thinks the Newcastle team is close to becoming a really good side, but that big investment is needed this summer.

And that is right, and it will be interesting to see if Mike Ashley comes through with money in the summer – it’s almost a litmus test as to what his real ambitions are for the Newcastle club.

Does he want to simply make money at the club, or does he want to build a top team – and we don’t think Newcastle fans know exactly what he wants to do – since he never says anything – at least not to the Newcastle fans.

Contrast the silence from Mike Ashley with that of new Liverpool owner John Henry, who talks to the Liverpool fans – his customers – on a regular basis, and even explained the sale of Torres to Chelsea and the transfer of Andy Carroll to Merseyside.

We just get the usual silence – nothing – from the Newcastle hierarchy – and we all know it just doesn’t work – including Mike himself.

This is what Joey said today:

“If we can add one or two to the squad we already have in the summer, we have the spine of a side capable of challenging for Europe in my opinion,”“It is an honor to play with this group of lads, who are so committed and work so hard. We want to keep getting better and pushing on.”

“We do still need to improve the squad. We are hungry to do that, and it is up to the men upstairs to amass a squad that gives us the bodies to challenge for a European football spot.” “You need to spend money, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. As long as they spend it, and spend it wisely we have a chance.”

“We might need to be able to rotate the squad a bit, but I am quite happy to be playing every week. What we have to look for, when lads pick up injuries and suspensions, is we have got good quality players to come in.” “We have 14, 15 16, players with Premier League experience who can do that at the moment. For me you need 20 or 22.”

“I know this football club can do some strange things, but this is very much a work in progress. We have had set backs along the way, and it has been tough this season.”“But we have spirit in abundance and we dig in when the chips are down. We have a team of 11 men together and we have shown that again.”

“I think you could pitch any sort of character into the dressing room, they would have to buy into the culture we have in there.” “If they don’t, they would be found out quite quickly and moved on. Everyone who has come in over the last year has had to buy into our principles and how hard we work for each other.”

“All of the lads in there are prepared to sacrifice individual performances for the good of the team and that is how you get a good side.” “The thing I am happy with is the team, it’s not about myself. In the first half at Birmingham I was not at my best, but in the second I put a shift in for the side.”

“That is what we have shown this season. There are times when players have not played well, but then the rest of the team pulls them through. Individuals do not win games, teams do.”

Really good words from Joey Barton this morning.

There’s no doubt that Barton is a huge player for Newcastle United now, and a big favorite with the fans, and we’ll be happier once he signs his new contract to keep him on Tyneside for the next 5 years or so.

And then we’ll look for the great Jose Enrique to sign a new long term deal, because these are two top players Alan Pardew needs to build his new Newcastle United team around.

And after that we’ll look for Cheick Tiote to get a new improved long term contract to stay on Tyneside, which he’s already earned in the short time he’s been at Newcastle.

18 comments so far

“‘It is flattering that Liverpool are interested. I’ve also heard that Manchester United and Aston Villa have asked about me. They are both big teams and I’m not closing the door on anyone. I’m ambitious and want to play in the Champions League. I want to win things. I’m OK at Newcastle but I aspire to more”.

I hope this is not true. Manchester United i can understand but Villa………don’t think so they are struggling to start with. At the end of the day we can replace Enrique with young Ferguson or go out and bring another in. Enrique should go for nothing less then seventeen million, he is a class act and one of the best full backs in the league.

callie9. firstly who the hell are you? Secondly, you do realise this is Eds blog and he can write what he likes. thirdly he only mentioned carroll when referring to his transfer to anfield and how their owners talk to the fans. I believe Ive said this before, but if you dont like what ed writes about or the content in his articles, go find another blog and dont start swearing at the person who runs the blog you neanderthal

callie9 i think ed puts so much of his own personal time and effort into this blog for the enjoyment of the rest of us and therefor is entitled to say what he likes in his articals do you think liverpool fans dont mention tores or alonso do u think man u fans dont still talk about ronaldo andy was a big part of the club and if people want to come on here and mention his name thats perogitive so i think i speak for everyone when i say you shut the f**k up and get urself into school the teacher is probably looking for you.

@post 8+9 here here. There is too many keyboard warriors and numbty’s saying 1st it spoils an excellent blog. I forget who it was last week that talked a lot of sense,some I didn’t agree with, but I would never dream of calling him a gobshite like some poster did.We all have opinions and not everyone will agree,but why do they have to resort to personal insults. As for Jose shame if we lose him or Tiote but we have become a selling club I’m afraid,and cant see it changing for a few years yet. As for Joey nice to see him playing so well and trying to repay us for his previous bad behavior. As I said on another thread why not delete the posters who say 1st and discourage them,as I dread the school holidays :o)

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Transfers Summer 2017

Player

Fee

Club

INCOMING

Christian Atsu

£6.2M

Chelsea

Florian Lejeune

£8.8M

Eibar

Jacob Murphy

£10M

Norwich

Javier Manquillo

£4.5M

Atletico Madrid

Mikel Merino

£2.5M Loan – season

Borussia Dortmund

Kenedy

Loan – season – pending

Chelsea

Joselu

£5.0M

Stoke City

Transfer Fees In

£37.0M

OUTGOING

Vurnon Anita

Released

Aston Villa

Sammy Ameobi

Released

Bolton

Haris Vuckic

Released

FC Twente

Lubo Satka

Released

FC DAC 1904

Florian Thauvin

£10.0M

Marseille

Kevin Mbabu

£1.0M

Young Boys

Matz Sels

Loan – season

Anderlecht

Yoan Gouffran

Released

Goztepe

Adam Armstrong

Loan – season

Bolton

Lewis Gibson

£1.0M Up to £5M in add-ons

Everton

Daryl Murphy

£2.0M

Nottingham Forest

Ivan Toney

Loan – season

Wigan Athletic

Transfer Fees Out

£14.0M

Net Spend

£23M

Preseason Friendlies 2017

Club

Location

Date

Hearts Won 2-1

Tynecastle

Friday 14th July 7:45pm

Preston Drew 1-1

Deepdale

Saturday 22nd July 3:00pm

Bradford Won 4-0

Valley Parade

Wednesday 26th July 7:30pm

Mainz 05 Lost 2-1

Opel Arena, Mainz

Saturday 29th July 4:00 pm local time

Wolfsburg Won 3-1

AOK Stadium, Wolfsburg

Wednesday 2nd August 4:00pm local time

Hellas Verona Wopn 2-0

St. James’ Park

Sunday 6th August 3:00pm

football club

It’s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city. It’s a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father’s hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love.